First Encounter - Primo Incontro Painting

Anthony Patrick Vella was born at Valletta, Malta, in 1961. There he lived surrounded by the highest form of baroque art expression, foremost among these being St. John’s Co-Cathedral of the Knights of Malta where he also attended religious functions. These have left an indelible mark on him, not only visually but also deep in his interiority. This association between the senses and the spiritual elevates art to the sublime. Starting in 1972 he attended the School of Art at Palazzo De La Salle for several years where, amongst other things, he obtained his first prize in Design, a prize that was sponsored by Farsons, a prestigious firm on the island. He started frequenting the Museum of Fine Arts in 1975 to do restoration work under the expert direction of Fr Marius Zerafa O.P., then Director of Museums. He soon felt attracted towards design, focusing on form and space. In 1981, he was studying architectural design in the morning and graphic design in the evening. He also worked on creating market image for consumer products that are still marketed up to the present day. After he finished his studies he went to Italy where he worked within a team of artists in the field of graphic design. Here he met the architect Nuccio LoCastro while working at the Museum of Etno-Anthropology of Nebrodi. His work experience with Nuccio LoCastro consolidated his own ideas about museum design, mainly that museums should serve not only as an educational place or simply as a place housing a collection of priceless objects but also as a place of contemplation where one’s thoughts can run wild. It should be a place where one can learn, relax, meet, socialize and participate. In other words, the museum should be an interactive place where a kinaesthetic experience may be enjoyed. It was also during his stay in Italy that he met Maria Rita, who after four years became his wife. After marrying, they decided to return to Malta. They have two daughters, Maria Roberta (born 1990) and Simona (born 1994). In 1998 he started working for the firm Raniolo & Bencini Architects and Civil Engineers. He worked on various prestigious projects that were entrusted to them. Later he was Art Director in an advertising and design agency. It was here that he became interested in the pedagogical aspect of museum communication. He furthered his studies in this area in Florence.